Made on Maui: ‘Biochip’

Silicon Kinetics unveils diagnostic instrument for medical research

By EDWIN TANJI, City Editor
A “biochip” developed by Trex Enterprises in Kahului has been incorporated into an analytical instrument for examining protein interactions at the molecular level that was introduced Friday in the first day of a three-day workshop put on by developer Silicon Kinetics.

The workshop being held at the Westin Maui Resort and Spa has drawn more than 50 scientists and researchers, including representatives of major pharmaceutical firms, for an introduction to the SKi ProTM, described as a “multipurpose product designed for pharmaceutical, bio-tech, research and diagnostic applications.”

Hus Tigli, president and chief executive officer of Silicon Kinetics, said he anticipates a significant demand for the instrument that to a layperson’s eyes vaguely resembles a large microwave oven.

“Protein investigations is a highly active field,” he said. “We’re very excited and so far during the morning session, there has been a tremendous amount of interest in the technology and in the product.”

Although Silicon Kinetics is headquartered in San Diego, Tigli said the introduction of SKi ProTM was held on Maui “not only because Maui is a nice place to be, but we really wanted to tie the birth of the basic technology to Maui and Hawaii.”

Trex Enterprises Corp. grew up on Maui as a research and development group specializing in microwave sensing, digital signal processing and high-resolution imaging, geared to both space and ocean exploration. It was originally the R&D division of a larger company, Thermo Electron Corp. It was bought out by the employees in 2000 and set up as a privately held research corporation based in San Diego and Hawaii.

Its Maui base initially was at the Maui Research & Technology Center, but the growth in its operations led the company to move to a larger facility in the Maui Business Park in Kahului.

Tigli said the biochip component of the SKi ProTM was developed by Trex, which set up Silicon Kinetics to develop the technology for commercial uses.

The instrument provides optical images of the materials being examined — molecules and proteins measured in nanometers, or one-billionth of a meter. It is expected to support development of the next generation of disease-fighting drugs being developed by pharmaceutical researchers.

“Most diseases are caused by proteins that bind with proteins in a person’s body, and researchers want to understand how proteins interact with each other,” Tigli said. “They want to understand the processes of proteins binding together or not binding together.

“With SKi Pro we are analyzing those binding actions in real time. We are optically looking at protein-to-protein interactions.”

The introductory workshop is providing hands-on demonstrations and technical presentations by Silicon Kinetics researchers on use of the SKi ProTM.

While she had not yet been introduced to the SKi ProTM, Maui Economic Development Board President Jeanne Skog said she would be learning about the new product Friday night.

“It’s pretty exciting, a really successful development. It represents a major achievement for them as a company,” she said.

Tigli said the product development was possible because of the support Trex received for its research programs from the U.S. Navy and the National Defense Center of Excellence for Research in Ocean Studies, a program of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. He also cited support from Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye, a longtime member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and chairman of the Subcommittee on Defense.

• Edwin Tanji can be reached at citydesk@mauinews.com.